A picture and an icon
by Sable a.k.a. Psychobitchua
Summary: Bullseye and Lady Skull make a first move, visiting Daredevil's shelter


Here comes the forth chapter of the story I'm writing. The working title is "Freaks". Bullseye and his dark lady finally started to act. Phew. As I have said before, Feedback is a good thing whether it bad or good. I am really interested of what do you think about my English, since I got different feedbacks, some of them saying my style is unique and original and I should not change anything, others saying that I probably should get a beta. If my English sucks, please, tell me it to my face, I'll do my best to improve. Thank you.  
  
People generally called him just "father" -- it seemed to be more comfortable, because names only can steal the trust. Names are for business, there is no need in them, when you're trying to be closer to the Creator, himself. Sometimes he forgot his own name, too. Sometimes he had shadow of doubt, following him all day, whispering to the ear, that Hell's Kitchen isn't a right place for saving souls. But his faith was strong, strong enough to fight it, even after Matthew disappeared about a month ago.  
  
There were long sleepless nights, when they were sitting here, in church, facing the wooden eyes of the Creator, and talked about everlasting truths like love, compassion, justice... They never came to agreement, though. Matthew was a child of Hell's Kitchen, nobody could take it away from him. Children of Hell's Kitchen don't believe in power of feelings or words. They believe in power of power itself.  
  
He was willing to help to this lost child to find his way to Creator and be saved, but after Elektra was killed he doubted that Matt Murdock wants to be saved. Daredevil was gone. And he, the closest person to him, didn't really knew, if he would be back. He wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing to wait for Devil From The Dark return. His methods of fighting were wrong. From the other hand, he wasn't sure about another ways to fight and destroy the pure evil around.  
  
"Can I talk to you, holly father?" he heard the woman spoke, hiding in the darkness of the confessional.  
  
It was already pretty late, but his purpose was to listen and bring calmness. God gave him this task. The woman was uncomfortable -- maybe she visited the shrine for the first time in her life, and something was really bothering her.  
  
He took his place.  
  
"What brought you here, my child?" he asked calmly.  
  
"My pain did," the uncertain answer came.  
  
"Was it physical or spiritual?"  
  
"Physical".  
  
"The origin of any kind of pain is spiritual injury, so to speak, my child. God knows it. Now you should tell me about your pain, being truthful to yourself, to me and to God."  
  
The small church drowned in silence. He could hear her stressed breathing as she was choosing words to begin.  
  
"There was a man... One of those, who seems to be very nice, and small, and unable to abuse until you'll take a look inside his eyes... There's nothing there... Cold deep darkness. He... He told me I was beautiful... But he could fix it quickly. He... was a former surgeon and had a knife, so he knew, what he was talking about. He said every mirror would crack, unable to take my reflection, and... and..."  
  
She burst into tears, so sincere, that they were burning his big heart like an acid. He heard Matthew's crying just like this once, long ago.  
  
"My child, why did this man want to hurt you?"  
  
The hysterical sobs stopped immediately, being absorbed by the dead silence. The priest decided for a moment, that the women's pain, mixed with Matt's pain, was echoing in his ears, and she was already gone. But then deadly calm voice spoke:  
  
"Well, I guess, because I came to kill him".  
  
The woman let out the short laugh, which didn't sound very healthy. The father felt as his blood turned to an ice. He never heard the woman's voice, but her laughter sounded too much alike to the one he heard when that bold psycho came here. Empty sound of self-satisfaction, cold and sharp, and dangerous. He jumped on his feet and tried to run away, but after two steps his forehead met a solid fist.  
  
Then the holly father was lost in darkness.  
  
"My pain is bothering me, holly father", Bullseye sniffed. "Dolly, next time work quickly".  
  
"Well, who knows when I'll be in a church again and will get a chance to feel the mystery of confession..." Lady Skull muttered thoughtfully.  
  
He wasn't sure if she was serious. She wasn't either, by the way.  
  
Bullseye bent his head down and crossed, leaving his partner a bit stunned.  
  
"Just don't tell me you believe in this shit..." she started, but the next word was smashed, when his arm grabbed her by the throat firmly. His gaze was burning, sparks were dancing on the walls. Priest was forgotten.  
  
"Dolly..." he breathed out "If you... If you once again try to analyze me, or judge me, or pretend, that you know or understand me... I swear I won't miss again. Is it clear?! "  
  
Lady Skull was completely silent. It was like all biological processes inside her body stopped, her face froze, like an ugly statue, her black gaze didn't shine anymore.  
  
"IS IT CLEAR?!" he roared, shaking her hard.  
  
She rose her arm and pointed to his hand, that clenched her throat. She let her go, slowly, unwillingly. The strongest temptation he ever felt was just stand this way, feeling the life slowly leaving her body. But they were partners, damn it. Dead partner - bad partner. But... Dead partner is just laying silently, looking up with glass eyes, never asking questions, pretending she's the boss... Temptation was really strong, but his hand fell down his body.  
  
And in the next moment he was already really sorry about his decision.  
  
She came to life really quickly, improbably quickly, reaching forward and captured his nose with her teeth. Now he was trapped. If he started to make sharp moves, he would be left without nose. Deadly assassin-syphilitic? Nope, thank you. But with every second her teeth sank deeper and deeper into the flesh. He didn't remember he wanted some free nose piercing. Tears started to run down his cheeks from the sharp pain. And of course, there was no compassion inside her eyes, looking from inside the skull mask. This scene could last forever probably, if only the priest didn't move.  
  
Lady Skull let Bullseye go slowly, and then jumped back on him.  
  
"One man already put his hands on my throat. He had a knife, and I came to life with these sweet marks all over my face. Not that I'm complaining, of course - it's nice add to image, but if you ever again touch my neck, I won't be frozen like I was right now. IS IT CLEAR?!"  
  
Bullseye felt lost. For the first time the thought that the chick was completely out of her mind come to his head. He had never worked with psychos. He get used to be the only psycho in town, and now...  
  
The priest moaned something.  
  
"We won't kill him", he ordered, moving closer.  
  
"Already got that. Our oh-so-scary Bullseye is religious."  
  
Silver star hit the wooden column just above her head.  
  
"I AM IRSISH! If Dolly doesn't watch TV, it doesn't mean she has the right to judge us. We have wars, fighting for our religion!" he burst out, but quickly calmed down, kneeling near the victim.  
  
"I don't know where Matthew is, but even if I knew..."  
  
"How banal." Lady Skull interrupted. "You wouldn't tell us, right?" she laughed. "But we really didn't count on you in this situation..."  
  
She closed her mouth, because Bullseye stood up and started to act like a dog, searching for the place, where it's bone was dug.  
  
As it was already said, Bullseye lived physically. He could feel physical presence and physical absence, solid walls and floor, and empty room between them. There, behind the door, leading to the modest place of the priest, was something else.  
  
"Smack him", he said casually, nearing the door.  
  
Lady Skull, the real professional, hit the holly man in the temple, not really feeling very sinful. Then she jumped on her feet and followed her partner.  
  
The door was open. Sure, that's the way things go in the house of love and trust inside the Hell's Kitchen. Bullseye smiled. There was a hatch in the small corridor between the bedroom and kitchen. Sure, another entrance from the outside existed, too, but this was more than enough.  
  
The shelter of Matt Murdock was found.  
  
Lady Skull was sitting on the floor, looking through the few photos of a pretty boy with a man, being probably his father. There was something in these pictures... The sincere smiles? Happy faces without masks? Blind trust? Family bound? The shadow of something run quickly through her eyes before they became black again. She was sure in one thing: if this boy crossed her path then, back in the days when the magic existed, she wouldn't hurt him. This boy was innocent. That fact usually didn't stop her, but this boy was happy... Lady Skull had never seen happy, truly happy people before. She never was one. She had a family, and a house, and a big dog in her childhood, but her eyes never had this mysterious, magic glimmer.  
  
Meanwhile, Bullseye had his own fun, smashing, crushing, destroying folders of documents, clothes, furniture... Then he found pills. That made him laugh. Such a strange thing -- there were times, when he used pills to control the monster inside, but then -- what the hell? -- it was his monster. It was him. Smiling wickedly, he threw them away. Looking at the mayhem they caused, he wasn't quite sure, that the message would be clear. After all, Daredevil still thought he was dead and had no idea about his partner.  
  
He must do something completely in his style, and the damage he caused wasn't enough. He grabbed the small box of photos. Here it was. The most precious thing people have are their memories. The place they go, when life lost its meaning, is past. Maybe that's why he hadn't memories -- he wasn't a human. Only a monster can take away the memories, take them to the broad daylight and laugh at them. And Daredevil will remember the name of the monster. Bullseye.  
  
With the furious half smile-half grin he started to tear the glossy paper apart until someone's hand grabbed his firmly.  
  
"Leave this one", Lady Skull hissed, trying to free the photo, that drew her attention earlier.  
  
No shit. This one was the happiest one. Maybe Bullseye couldn't feel emotions, but he definitely could see them.  
  
"Leave it or I will spit on the Maria's icon once we'll get outta here."  
  
She was kidding, right?  
  
"I want a souvenir, which will remind me about the Daredevil's defeat".  
  
She was lying about the photo, but not about the icon, so he let the piece of paper go, and it quickly disappeared somewhere inside her sleeve.  
  
"Psycho", he muttered.  
  
"Look at yourself", she echoed.  
  
They left the small church in the very heart of Hell's Kitchen, and, as always, here nobody really gave a damn about two strangers, who took the car, that obviously didn't belong to them, pushed an unconscious man inside and drove away, disappearing in the darkness.  
  
The first move was made and, knowing the situation, nobody had a doubt that Daredevil will answer with another act of so-called blind justice, but this time the final scene will be played in a different way.  
  
Who said good guys always win?  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


End file.
